Page 104 of Kade

I snickered. It went back to Max’s normal name in the missed calls and when I texted him, so if he ever looked at my phone, he wouldn’t get mad. The first time I’d changed his name in my phone, he’d gotten all huffy and lectured me for an hour about how we were too young for such a serious relationship.

I’d just planned our honeymoon as he kept babbling.

“Hey,” I said when I answered the phone.

“Why didn’t you answer me? How was he saying it?” Max asked.

I shrugged, lying down on my bed. “I don’t know how to explain it. Just a feeling. Like, I believed it. All the stories I’ve heard. My dad’s capable of hurting someone, like for real. I never thought he could. He rescues and releases flies in the house, even when Nolanisn’there. Mom, though. She’s another thing. My mom could stare someone down until they start slapping the shit out of themselves. She’s got powers. She’s tough.”

Max sighed, but I heard amusement in his voice. “Your mom is badass. It’s why she’s friends with my mom.”

I groaned. “I forgot you used to have a crush on my mom. That’s so weird.”

“I did not! That’s disgusting. You thought I had a crush on your mom?”

I sat up, frowning. “You don’t?”

“I’ve never. That’s your mom, Mads. You and me—I’ve always thought we might—you know. No fucking way would I ever have perved on your mom. I mean, she’s beautiful. I have eyes, but you know.”

I smirked, lying back down. “I know. Your dad’s a total hottie.”

He made a choking sound. “I don’t want to re-touch this conversation. Ever.”

I snickered. “You said re-touch.”

“Maddy.”

Okay, okay. I got serious, and I shrugged, even though he couldn’t see. “I—it’s just a feeling. Something happened after the game. My dad was asking me all these questions. It was weird. I don’t have a good feeling about it.”

“They didn’t ask anything about Brinna?”

Brinna was Steele’s sister, and she was cool. I didn’t think a lot of people knew about her. She only visited on the weekends and went to school somewhere else. Steele said she was embarrassed and it was a whole thing with their family. Traine and Axel hinted that I shouldn’t ask a lot of questions about her so whatever. I didn’t.

“No.”

My parents didn’t know how much I hung out with those guys. My mom liked to know my friends. I got the reason, but they wouldn’t understand these guys. Lucia was my friend beard. Though, she wasn’t that bad. My mom believed Lucia was my friend and that Lucia’s friends were the rest of my friends so I’d look more normal.

The guys were graduating this year. I’d need to figure something out for next year. Maybe I could transfer to Fallen Crest Public and make Max my official boyfriend.

Hmmm… That had promise.

“Okay. I’m not far from the edge of town. How am I approaching?”

I got up and checked outside. They hadn’t left yet, but I knew they would. They’d said goodnight. They’d said they loved me. They’d done all the normal routine signifying that they were going to bed for the rest of the night, but I knew they were lying.

Maybe Nolan wasn’t the only one with some intuition? Wait a minute. Could I have that and also be a sociopath? Another question for Google. Maybe I could meet some sociopaths in real life, interview them to see if they lacked intuition or maybe it was heightened… That was also an idea.

Just then a set of headlights pulled up to the gate. “That’s not you, is it?” I asked.

“What?”

“At our gate?”

“No. Who is it?”

I stopped answering, watching as the lights turned off. The gate opened, and the truck rolled forward into our courtyard. It pulled up to our front door, and I watched as my dad went out and got inside. He was dressed all in black. When he opened the door, no inside light turned on. It’d already been dismantled. That was creepy.

“Maddy!” Max demanded.

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